Looking Backward to Go Forward

A recent call for submissions made me go back to my cache of The Chronicles of Gwynna Lionshadow. Gwynna was born out of our D&D games, and our first campaign "The Cudgel of St. Cuthbert" gave me ideas for a plot with similar characters, as Gwynna searches for her Human father, lost over three centuries ago.

Stories about Gwynna never sold back then, and comments I did get from some editors was that she's not a sympathetic character. Hmm. Imprisoned as a child by her mother, the Empress, for a crime she had yet to commit, spirit-raped, escaping execution on the back of the Great Dragon, hiding her identity as a wandering minstrel-mage, fearful of discovery, fearful of intimacy, mistrusting, cynical, defensive... And she's not sympathetic? 

I knew what they wanted: they wanted her to resolve her PTSD, open herself to the warrior who loved her, and LHEA. As if LHEA is something a haunted victim can do.

Well, she's still my favorite character, and I believe in her. I just re-read my third collection of the chronicles, fighting the Black Market while being pursued by a mysterious spiritual entity, and avoiding getting too involved with her love-sick partner while risking inquisition from the Temple.

I wrote Gwynna's chronicles in the late '80s through the '90s. I have three and a half books finished, mostly novella collections in a story arc. I have a major novel to write as a prequel, and another major novel as an ending. I also have a YA series spinoff, where Gwynna is a supporting character who mentors a girl as a minstrel-mage.

As I wrote Gwynna, I got better at writing (thanks to Gregory Frost and the nameless workshop). Right now, I think Gwynna's time has come. It's 2022, thirty years later. Is the world ready for a badass bitchy heroine?

The other day I sent out what I thought was a great Gwynna introductory story. Rejection came in 4 hours later. 4 hours! Nobody got past the first page on that one. Form rejection, too, so I'm guessing the opening wasn't engaging enough for that editor. 

The problem is, submission windows are so small. I should probably be spending my time looking for those rather than writing. 

I know there's a place for her.